Beyond Wealth: Orthodoxy, Capitalism, and the Gospel of Wealth

Kyriakos Dounetas

“The disdain for riches is well known in almost all religious and philosophical traditions. [...]If, for the Orthodox Christian, the destiny of man is the perfection of his relationship with God in deification or theosis (ϑέωσις), then the critical issue must be how wealth and possessions affect this goal. Today, when we are influenced by countless philosophies and religions (mostly of western origin), we must carefully discern between Orthodox theology and that of western confessions, giving special attention to the existential character of necessity. We must also deal with the question of unbridled capitalism and greed, which have assumed an astonishingly pervasive character globally and has even infiltrated the life of Orthodox communities. [...T]he need for earthly security, manifested in the quest for riches, is but a symptom of the existential sickness from which mankind suffers on account of sin and death. Its cure is found in the Tradition of the Orthodox Church, where one encounters the Risen Christ and where necessity is replaced by an immediate and loving relationship with God.”—“Introduction”

CONTENTS

Introduction 1. The Reign of Necessity 2. The Tyranny of Wealth 3. Death Is Destroyed with Its Own Weapons 4. Almsgiving Makes God a Debtor 5. Abundance in Poverty 6. Serving in Freedom 7. Scholasticism and Civilisationn 8. Protestant Scholasticism 9. The Religion of Greed 10. The Gospel of Wealth 11. The Abuse of the Worker 12. Is Charging Interest Forbidden? 13. Conclusions and RecommendationsEndnotesIndex of Names

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